Madea's Muses: Recurring Stars in Tyler Perry Films
A rundown of the filmmaker's fave actors.
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Bobbi Kristina Brown - There's no doubt Tyler Perry has an eye for talent, and looks like he spotted Whitney Houston's spark in Bobbi K. Less than two months after losing her mother, the 19-year-old landed a recurring role on Perry's hit TBS series For Better or Worse. (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/PictureGroup)
Photo By Gregg DeGuire/PictureGroup
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Kim Kardashian - Perry's decision to cast the newly-divorced reality star in The Marriage Counselor was met with controversy — some diehard Perry fans even declared they would boycott the film. But the filmmaker stood up for his star, telling fans via his blog that "it would be very responsible of [Kim] to be a part of this film. To have the young people that look up to her see her in a film that is about what happens in life when you make the wrong choices." (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Janet Jackson - After a promising big-screen debut in indie drama Poetic Justice, Jackson's comeback as unhappily married author Patricia in Perry's Why Did I Get Married? showed the child star was truly all grown up. The pair have collaborated on several films (he's the only director she's worked with since) and became best friends in the process. (Photo: Brian Dowling/PictureGroup)
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Idris Elba - After Perry gave this British hottie the lead in one of his best films, Daddy's Little Girls, Elba had to bite the hand that fed him. "I am happy for Tyler’s success…we need Tyler Perry," he told students at Rutgers University. "But…I’m not with buffoonish characters like Madea or Big Momma.” C'mon, Idris. Wouldn't a "thank you" have sufficed? (Photo: Joe Kohen/[SOURCE CREDIT)
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Sanaa Lathan - Surprisingly, this Yale-educated actress, a regular in Black rom-coms, has only crossed professional paths with Perry once, when she played wealthy adulterer Andrea Bennett in The Family That Preys. (Photo: Phil McCarten /PictureGroup)
Photo By Photo: Phil McCarten /PictureGroup
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Angela Bassett - Perry is used to making stars, not chasing them, but with Angela Bassett, it was the other way around. “I told her she was the most wonderful actress out there and that I had to work with her. I just had to," said Perry. Bassett said that she accepted his offer because of "the respect he has for African-American women." (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Kimberly Elise - Playing scorned wife Helen, Elise had the privilege of sharing lots of screen time with Perry's most famous character, Madea, in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Elise later went on to star in and win several awards for her role in Perry's controversial For Colored Girls. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
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Shemar Moore - Big-screen eye-candy usually means a beautiful woman in a skimpy dress, but in a Tyler Perry film, it means a stud muffin like Shemar Moore, who got bitter divorcee Kimberly Elise back in the game in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. (Photo: David Becker/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: David Becker/Getty Images
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Viola Davis - Just because she has a closet full of awards and the praise of virtually every critic in the country doesn't mean Davis isn't down with real folks. Davis has been unapologetic about her role in Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail, pointing out to critics that Perry has done more to employ African-Americans in front of the lens and behind it than anyone else in Hollywood. (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
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Gabrielle Union - This year's Good Deeds marked the second collaboration between Union and Perry, who first worked together on Daddy's Little Girls. The actress had only positive things to say about her co-star and director, pointing out that he "holds up a mirror to society…and sometimes that's uncomfortable." (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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